Construction is ahead of schedule for Taunton’s new mixed-income housing developments at the former Fairfax Gardens on Dewert Avenue and the Parcel 61 behind the Bloom Bus terminal.

While the original timeline outlined by the Taunton Housing Authority and developers called for the project’s completion in spring 2014, now the belief is that it can all be wrapped up by early winter this year. Many of the New England-style townhouse apartment buildings at the former Fairfax site have already been erected, although they remain unfinished, and all of the foundations have been poured.

“We are hoping to be able to move some residents in the early fall,” said Colleen Doherty, executive director of the THA. “Both sites are coming along at a pretty good clip. … It’s exciting. It’s been so many years in the making, to see it go up so quickly was astonishing.”

A total of 160 housing units at both locations will replace what had been 150 apartments on DeWert Avenue. Doherty estimated that 40 percent of the Fairfax portion of the project is now completed.

Doherty also revealed the new name of Fairfax Gardens, as the community turns the page away from the public housing development of the past. It will now be called “Bristol Commons.”

The plans for Bristol Commons include 88 new energy-efficient townhouse-style units, located in 18 new residential developments in the footprint of Fairfax Gardens, as well as additional wooded land that was developed at the site. There will also be a community center and seven of the units will be fully handicap accessible.

The Parcel 6A site will be known as Lenox Green, Doherty said. There will be 72 units at the site, including 54 in a three-story building. A new sidewalk has also been constructed connecting the Lenox site to the bus station.

The overall $71 million project was made possible through a public-private partnership under which Trinity Financial will own and operate the new buildings, while THA owns the land. The architect for the project was the Chelsea-based TAT and the construction company is the Newton-based CWC Builders.

Doherty also revealed the names of the streets that will run through Bristol Commons, including Fairground Avenue, which is a nod to the property’s history in the 19th century as the home for the annual town fair held by the Bristol County Agricultural Society. Other streets include Ferris Lane, as in Ferris wheels. The original public housing apartments on DeWert Avenue opened in the early 1950s

Karen Cruz, THA’s Hope VI coordinator, said she has noticed since the beginning of the project there has been reinvestment in the community nearby the development.

“It’s absolutely fabulous,” Cruz said. “We have neighbors coming by who are very excited. The feedback we’ve heard is very positive. We have two new duplexes being built on one side of the development, another house is being built across the way and another was finished.”

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Debra Nunes, construction manager for Trinity Financial, said that she’s proud of the quality of the townhouse buildings, the easy to maintain materials and the hard work that’s going into construction. Nunes also touted the energy efficiency and insulation systems in the building.

“It’s a dream project, it really is,” Nunes said. “The architectural team did a great job. The project has a lot of really quality features, like the high end windows.”

Nunes said that there are 70 to 80 workers constructing the Bristol Commons site, while 30 to 40 other workers are working at the Lenox Green site.

Nunes said the project backers are shooting for Enterprise Green Community standards, issued by the governor, with an Energy Star 3 designation. Nunes said testing is already underway to ensure the housing development receives the designation. Nunes added that all scraps from the project are being recycled.

Plans are for every unit being built has a laundry machine and central air and heat. Every unit also has a patio area and backyard space, and more space in general, according to plan.

“It’s nice to see families get space to put a kitchen table, and then a living room that is in a separate area, which is something we didn’t have before,” Doherty said.

The housing development project was a while in the making. The THA originally applied for the HOPE VI grant in 2009, then again in 2010, before successfully obtaining one of the grants, which are usually given for projects in larger cities.